In another reminder of how fast the offseason moves, we’ve quickly gone from QB Joe Flacco is “almost definitely” leaving the Cleveland Browns to Flacco himself going on record to say that he prefers to stay in Cleveland.
Granted, preferring to remain with the Browns and remaining with the Browns are two separate matters. Flacco wants more than to just have a job in the NFL—he actually wants to play. And the Browns are paying a boatload of money for Deshaun Watson to do just that, with no backsies.
“I can tell you that, all things equal, Cleveland is definitely the place where I’d feel best about”, Flacco said on SiriusXM recently, via Myles Simmons for Pro Football Talk. He acknowledged the matter of role but also admitted his affinity for Cleveland is a factor he can’t escape. And because of that, he’s weighed the reality of backing up Watson.
“If I go back to Cleveland, then I’ve wrapped my mind around that idea”, he said regarding that scenario. “Obviously, I want to play football. That’s also a really, really, really big factor — probably the biggest factor. But that’s what I’m saying. I don’t think you can really make that decision without any hard things laid in front of you”.
Out of the league for much of last season, Flacco signed with the Browns’ practice squad on Nov. 20. He started his first game on Dec. 3, as well as the next five. The Browns used his three allotted practice squad elevations before they needed to sign him to the 53-man roster. When they did, they included incentives in his contract at the risk of another team signing him.
The Browns won four games in a row to lock up a playoff spot under Flacco, but that’s where the fairy tale ended. The Houston Texans dominated them in a 45-14 blowout playoff loss in which Flacco threw two pick-sixes. Cleveland’s vaunted defense gave up 31 points even without Flacco’s elite assistance.
All told, he went 123-of-204 passing in five regular-season games, throwing for 1,616 yards. He threw 13 touchdowns passes but added 8 interceptions. In the playoff loss, he went 34-of-46 for 307 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
The Browns went 5-1 in the six games Watson started last season before succumbing to injury. He did not blow up the stat sheet, but he played well enough to win games. Their only loss under him came thanks to Pittsburgh Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith. He returned an interception for a touchdown and forced a sack fumble returned for another score by T.J. Watt in Week 2.
The Browns still owe Watson a comedic $138 million in guaranteed money over the next three seasons. They can only relieve themselves of that obligation if he retires or faces criminal charges that void the guarantee. Or by the Browns finding a team insane enough to trade for him. Out of the three, the aforementioned charges may be the most likely scenario. But even if the Browns are stuck with Watson’s contract, they are not stuck with playing him if they choose to start another quarterback.
